Probing helium interfaces with light scattering: from fluid mechanics to statistical physics.

We have investigated the formation of helium droplets in two physical situations. In the first one, droplets are atomised from superfluid or normal liquid by a fast helium vapour flow. In the second, droplets of normal liquid are formed inside porous glasses during the process of helium condensation. The context, aims, and results of these experiments are reviewed, with focus on the specificity of light scattering by helium. In particular, we discuss how, for different reasons, the closeness to unity of the index of refraction of helium allows in both cases to minimise the problem of multiple scattering and obtain results which it would not be possible to get using other fluids.

Spatial imaging of two-dimensional electronic states in semiconductor quantum wells.

We measure the spatial distribution of the local density of states (LDOS) at cleaved surfaces of InAs/GaSb isolated quantum wells and double quantum wells (DQWs) by low-temperature scanning tunneling spectroscopy. Distinct standing wave patterns of LDOS corresponding to subbands are observed. These LDOS patterns and subband energies agree remarkably well with simple calculations with tip-induced band bending. Furthermore, for the DQWs, coupling of electronic states between the quantum wells is also clearly observed.

Psychiatric hospitalization and process description: what will nursing add?

1. Inpatient treatment programs operating in the managed care environment must clearly articulate their treatment outcomes and the processes of care that are connected to these outcomes. 2. The work of inpatient psychiatric nurses can be organized and articulated through the therapeutic processes of the Four S Model: Safety, Structure, Support, and Symptom Management. 3. Nurses are vital contributors to the inpatient treatment process, but will be marginalized if they are unable to articulate how their interventions contribute to the positive treatment outcomes.

Development of the Depression Coping Self-Efficacy Scale (DCSES).

The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument with which to measure the coping self-efficacy of depressed psychiatric patients. Item development arose from an extensive review of the literature and a survey of nurse experts for identification of coping actions for depressed patients. After pilot testing, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and study scale (DCSES) were given to 150 depressed inpatients and 24 nondepressed community volunteers. Using a variety of procedures, the DCSES was shortened to 24 items and tested on a group of 51 subjects from the same depressed population. Preliminary analyses support the use of the DCSES to measure coping self-efficacy of depressed psychiatric patients.